Water demand aligns with LADWP promise to refill reservoir this spring, says survey.

LOS ANGELES (September 14, 2016) – The Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy (SLRC), the longest established advocacy group for the Silver Lake Reservoirs, has released preliminary information from its recently completed 2016 survey of area residents.

More than 800 residents completed the comprehensive survey that explored the community's opinions about the future of the reservoir and adjacent properties. When given choices of what they would support or oppose for the reservoir, more respondents supported filling and keeping the reservoir filled than supported any other feature or development regarding the area.

“Our survey results suggest strong support for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) existing plan to refill the reservoir in spring of 2017,” said Dave Keitel, SLRC President. “The community also clearly wants to keep it filled. How the City is going to make that happen is something the community is eager to discuss with our Council Members and others at the upcoming September 20th meeting.”

The survey was designed and administered by SLRC Board member Dr. Andrew Thomas and was sent to 3,400 randomly selected residents in the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council District. Thomas reported an exceptionally high response rate of 24 percent and a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.

“Through the survey, we were able to gain valuable insight into the community’s preferred uses for the reservoir and reservoir properties, as well as their concerns,” said Thomas. He added that the results also helped identify projects residents would like the community and elected officials to dedicate resources to in the near future.

“Taking on projects and making policy decisions that are not based on the needs and desires of the community is wrong-headed,” said Keitel. “Our organization seeks to be responsive to what the neighborhood wants. By conducting regular surveys, we are able to find out what the community’s priorities are and we can track those changes over time.”

SLRC has collected community feedback for over 20 years - that information is available on the SLRC website. Detailed results of the 2016 survey will be posted October 1st.

At the end of June, LADWP conducted a standing room only community meeting to discuss plans to refill the 96-acre reservoir that had been taken offline in 2013. The federal government now mandates that all drinking water supplies be kept underground. In the summer of 2015, the reservoir was drained so that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which owns the reservoir and surrounding land, could complete needed infrastructure work to deliver drinking water from a new storage facility near Griffith Park to customers south and east of Silver Lake.

The next meeting, scheduled for September 20th by Council Members Mitch O’Farrell and David Ryu, will discuss plans for refilling the reservoir, though many question the lack of details and when that will happen and how.

SLRC, founded in 1988, is well known in the community for increasing public access to the reservoirs and helping to manage popular improvements, including the running/walking path, the Meadow Park, the Tesla Olive Grove pocket park and related lighting and landscaping projects.

“SLRC is committed to working closely with the City, our elected officials and all members of the reservoir community as we tackle the next phase of restoring the reservoir,” added Keitel.

ABOUT SILVER LAKE RESERVOIRS CONSERVANCY

The Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy (SLRC), established in 1988, is an all-volunteer, non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving and enhancing the historical, aesthetic, ecological and recreational benefits of Silver Lake’s open waters and surrounding open space. SLRC works to reflect community preferences regarding the property and advocates accordingly. While the reservoirs are part of the city water supply system, the SLRC will provide education about water quality, projects, and their impacts on the community. SLRC’s vision is to facilitate the transition of the decommissioned reservoir property and to explore new opportunities regarding open space, education, recreation, watershed, wildlife, native plants, natural habitats and land use once the reservoirs go off line.